


My Miracle

by Soccer_Bitch



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-09-08
Packaged: 2018-12-16 01:22:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11818239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soccer_Bitch/pseuds/Soccer_Bitch
Summary: Post 5x22. The aftermath of the warehouse fire, Matt Casey's fiance must come to terms with how dangerous the job of a first responder can truly be. Casey/OC





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This my first time writing Chicago Fire so I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. There will be a second part so I hope you will stay tuned for that.
> 
> A/N2: I only own my characters and the plot, nothing more

  
_“Chief is Ellie there?”_  
  
 _Looking at Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51, Noelle Lightwood brought her hand up to her radio that was clipped at her shoulder._  
  
 _“Matt, I’m here.”_  
  
 _“Noelle, you know how much you mean to me right?”_  
  
 _Noelle could hear her fiancé’s voice clearly through the radio which meant one thing._  
  
 _“Matt, did you take off your mask?”_  
  
 _“I want you to hear my voice.”_  
  
 _Moving her blonde braid over her shoulder, she could feel her eyes start to burn with tears that wanted to be shed. Noelle could feel her ambulance 61 partner Slyvie Brett walk closer to her in case she was needed._  
  
 _“No, don’t you say that, Matt. You get out of there,” Noelle told him, her voice breaking as she talked into the radio. “You listen to me. You put your mask back on and you get out of there.”_  
  
 _“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You and the baby.”_  
  
 _“Matt, don’t. You use your halogen or your hands. You find a wall and you break it down. You hear me?”_  
  
 _“Noelle…”_  
  
 _It was impossible for Noelle to keep her tears in check. She had one hand on her radio and the other on her obviously pregnant belly._  
  
 _“Don’t say it…”_  
  
 _“Noelle…Noelle I want you to remember us as happy together, holding each other. You are my miracle Noelle. You’re my miracle. I love you Noelle and our baby.”_  
  
 _She wanted nothing more than to run into the burning building and bring out the firefighters that were still trapped inside. They were part of her family and she couldn’t leave them behind. When she was transferred to Firehouse 51 it was not what she had been expecting. Never in a million years did she think she would stay as long as she had or that she would find the love of her life. Meeting Matt Casey was the best thing that she could have asked for. After being on and off for a year and a half he had proposed to her. They had gone to dinner and they went back to Molly’s where all their friends had been waiting. She had not been expecting it, but she told him yes. Only a month later she found out she was pregnant. She wasn’t sure how Matt would react to the news, but when she finally told him and she saw the utter delight on his face she felt that she could finally relax._  
  
 _And now six months later she was talking to her fiancé through the radio while he was stuck inside a burning building. It was just earlier that day Matt had told her was going to scale back his alderman duties so that they could spend more time together before the baby was due. The day had started off so well and then Firehouse 51 received the call to the fire they were at._  
  
 _“Matt, please. You can’t give up,” Noelle said as she spoke through the radio. “I can’t do this without you. I need you.”_  
  
 _There was absolutely nothing Noelle could do to keep the tears from falling down her face. She waited for Matt to say something, anything at all. Taking a step closer to the burning building, she watched as flames shot up from inside._  
  
 _“MATT!”_  
  
Jolting awake, Noelle looked around as she tried to take some deep and calming breaths. Sitting up in the bed she glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was still the early hours and if she went to sleep now she could possibly get at least another four hours before heading to Firehouse 51. The past few months after the building fire had not been easy for her. She loved being a paramedic, but after the fire that had taken her fiancé from her it was sometimes hard to remember why. She was glad that Herrmann and Mouch were able to somehow get out of there safely. But Matt wasn’t so lucky.  
  
Feeling the tears on her cheeks, she wiped them away and tossed the covers off. Scooting to the edge of the bed she took a deep breath before slowly getting to her feet. Most days it was hard to sleep with the baby kicking her all the time, but it was also hard because Matt wasn’t laying next to her. She liked when they worked the same shifts at the firehouse because it would mean that would be able to go home together and sleep next to each other. There had been times where she would feel utterly exhausted after a call and Sylvie Brett would tell her to go and take a nap, but she didn’t use her own bed. She went into the officer’s room that belonged to Matt. With the blinds down she was able to fall asleep until someone came looking for her or because the alarm went off because one of the teams were needed.   
  
Walking out of the bedroom wearing a shirt that was large enough to fit over her stomach and a pair of lounge pants, Noelle walked over to the kitchen and turned on a light. Not one of the overhead lights that would make it bright in the kitchen and the living room, but the light just over the sink. It was plenty for her to see what she was doing without disturbing the firefighter currently asleep on her couch.   
  
The apartment was three bedrooms, but the guest room had been turned into a baby room and the other room was currently holding all the things for the baby that she had to go through. Toys, clothes, diapers, wipes. She knew she would need everything when the baby was here, but Matt had wanted them to do it together. Now she was just waiting until the pain wasn’t so close as it was. It had only been two months since she lost the man she was going to marry and the father of her child. There wasn’t a day that went by that she didn’t miss him and wish that he was the one that had fallen asleep on the couch while watching the Chicago Blackhawks game. Noelle had lost track of how many times that she had woken up to an empty bed and Matt asleep with the TV on because he had fallen asleep watching the game. She liked it when they had both fallen asleep together watching the games, but after she found out she was pregnant she had gotten tired so easily that Matt would let her sleep until he knew she was asleep before carrying her to their bedroom.   
  
Moving over to the cupboard, she had to stand on her tippy toes to reach the box of cereal that had been pushed towards the back. Just as she got a finger tip on it, she saw a hand that was not her own grab it.   
  
“You could have just asked for some help.”  
  
“Help from the man that was asleep on my couch not even five minutes ago?” Noelle asked as she took the box of cereal from him. “I might not get much sleep between the baby constantly playing soccer with my insides and-”  
  
“You can say it Noelle.”  
  
“I don’t need to. You already know.”  
  
“From Casey being gone.”  
  
“He isn’t gone Kelly,” Noelle said as she moved to get a bowl and spoon before getting the milk from the fridge. “He’s not on some trip and he’ll be back at the end of the week. He’s dead and I’m never going to see him again. So yeah in the two months that he’s been dead I haven’t slept well. I don’t sleep well without him nearby.”  
  
“I know how you feel,” Kelly Severide, leader of Squad 3 told her leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “When Anna died-”  
  
“It didn’t feel real,” she whispered. “One minute he is talking to me on the radio and the next the building is engulfed in flames and he was still in there.”  
  
“It’ll get better,” he told her. “Each day it gets easier. The first few months will be the hardest, but you know I’m here and so are the guys at 51. You might be on leave, but they are still your family.”  
  
“I received a call asking if I would come and clear out Matt’s locker and room. So that they can bring in the new lieutenant.”  
  
“I’m on shift today and if you want I can-”  
  
“Thank you, Kelly,” she said giving him a small smile. “I appreciate that, but I need to do it myself. Plus I need to get out for awhile. Starting to go a little crazy with the no working and not on maternity leave.”  
  
“I’m sure everyone will like to see you and how you are doing,” Kelly smiled at her. “And to see how big you’ve gotten.”  
  
“As big as a freaking whale.” Noelle laughed.

* * *

  
  
Parking her car, Noelle looked at the firehouse that had been a second home to her for so long, but now she didn’t know how she felt about it. She hadn’t told Kelly the whole truth about why she wanted to pack up Matt’s things herself. Knowing someone else was going through his stuff and even hers since she had left things in his room on many occasions did not sit well with her. It wasn’t that she disliked anyone in the firehouse this was just something that she felt she needed to do herself. Allowing anyone else to do it just felt disrespectful to his memory and if she allowed someone else to do it, it would never sit right with her.  
  
Turning her car off, she got out slowly since that was how fast she moved lately. Shutting the door she made her way to the trunk and opened it and pulled out a cardboard box that she had in the spare room. She had dumped the clothes that it held and left the mess on the bed in there for when she eventually got around to it. With the box in one hand, she closed the trunk with her other hand made her way to the open doors of the firehouse.  
  
Squad 3 was the first ones to see her since they were around there table. Cruz was the first one to shoot out of his seat as she approached with the empty box. He attempted to take it from her and then offered to do what she came here for, but before she could shoot him down Kelly Severide came to her side.  
  
“I thought you were coming after your appointment.”  
  
“Appointment got moved,” she told him. “My doctor wants to check me tomorrow unless I start going into labor sooner and then I have to get to the hospital right away.”  
  
Cruz looked between them confused by what they were talking about. “What kind of appointment? Are you and the baby okay?”  
  
“Would I be here if I weren’t?” she asked as she headed to the doors with her box in her hands. “See ya later squad.”  
  
“Are you and Noelle seeing each other Lieutenant?” Cruz asked, his voice low so the others couldn’t hear what he said.  
  
“Are you serious?” Kelly asked him. “Her fiance and the father to her baby who was my best friend has died. I’m doing what he would want me to do. I’m looking out for her.”  
  
“Sorry Lieutenant,” Cruz said apologizing. “It just seemed-”  
  
“Well it isn’t,” he told him. “She’s here to clear out his stuff.”  
  
Nodding his head Cruz looked to where Noelle had gone inside the firehouse.  Capp who had watched their entire exchange. He knew that if he uttered a word of what had been said between Kelly and Joe it would get back to Noelle and then there would be tension in the firehouse. There was no need for it in his opinion. Picking up his coffee cup, he headed to the kitchen for a refill.  
  


* * *

  
  
Placing books inside the box, Noelle knew at some point she would have to go through this stuff at home and decide what to do with it. Was she going to keep everything that he had left behind? Did she save something for their child as it got older? The baby would be arriving soon and she couldn’t help but feel totally unprepared. When she had Matt everything seemed simpler, but now that he wasn’t around it meant that she was going to have to really figure out what she wanted to do. As a married couple they would have had two incomes, but since Matt’s death she was going to be a single mother with one income. It was going to be hard no matter what she did and she didn’t know how to ask anyone for help since there wasn’t anything they really could do.  
  
Walking over to the desk, Noelle picked up the picture frame that was there. He must have gotten a new frame since the old one just held one picture of her. This one held a picture of the two of them with their hands on her large stomach in the shape of hearts and the other side was from the ultrasound they had gone to. Sitting down in his chair, Noelle had to take a minute for herself. She knew that this would be hard, but she hadn’t thought it would be this hard. After taking some time to get her emotions in check, Noelle went back to packing up the stuff that belonged to Matt.  
  
“Knock, knock.”  
  
Turning and looking at the person in the doorway, she smiled. Putting the book inside the box she walked over to Christopher Herrmann and gave him a hug. She hadn’t seen much of him since they had both been released from the hospital. Noelle was kept because the baby had gone into distress and they wanted to monitor both her and the baby. It was not just scary because there was a chance that she would go into premature labor, but there was a chance she could have lost the baby just like she had lost Matt. Luckily for her, Doctor Natalie Manning had been there and took care of her like she did to the patients that she had brought into the ER. Well maybe not just like them, since she did have a working relationship with the doctors she came in contact with.  
  
“How you holding up?”  
  
“I’m so over being pregnant,” Noelle said as she lowered herself to Matt’s former bed and Herrmann took the chair. Placing her hand over her large stomach she took a deep breath before continuing. “This kid is so active already I don’t know how I’m supposed to keep up when it comes time to actually have it.”  
  
“Still keeping the sex a secret?” he asked with a smile.  
  
“It was Matt’s idea. I think it was to torture me or Kelly, but after he died I found out what the baby actually is, but I haven’t let anyone into the baby’s room that Matt did and I haven’t told anyone what the baby is.”  
  
“So basically it’s a surprise for everyone but you and your doctor?”  
  
“Pretty much,” Noelle said with a small smile. “I’m actually glad you found me. I wanted to talk to you and Cindy about something but maybe I can just ask you and you could ask Cindy when you get off work?”  
  
“Everything okay?” he asked, suddenly worried.  
  
“I’m fine and the baby is also fine,” Noelle told him with a faint smile. “Kelly has been staying at my place every few nights and it got me thinking about the birth more and more. Matt and I had a plan. It was going to be just the two of us and after the baby was born and we were ready for visitors we would call and let everyone know. Obviously that isn’t going to happen now.”  
  
Herrmann looked like he wanted to say something, but the words weren’t coming to him. He knew his friend and co-worker had been through hell in the last few months and there was nothing any of them could do to make it better.  
  
“Kelly is going to take me to the hospital and I was hoping that you and Cindy would be there as well. Not sure who will be in the room when the baby comes, besides me and hopefully Cindy, but I just want it to be small group of people at the hospital with me. I know that it will be emotional and I’m blabbering now.”  
  
“No, no, no,” Herrmann said as he finally found his voice. “I was just taken aback. Casey had mentioned how you both wanted to have it just be the two of you when it came time to it. The birth of your first child is something you will never forget. You won’t forget any of them, but when it’s the first one, there is just something about it.”  
  
“But things changed at that fire,” Noelle reminded him. “Matt will never get to meet his first child and I have tossed out all my wedding plans and try to think of happier thoughts because when I remember all the plans we made it makes it so hard. And I just miss him so much more.”  
  
There was no stopping the tears from streaming down her face. Most days she was able to hide the pain away, but talking about the baby coming and how things were not how she planned them made it harder. Herrmann was out of the chair and sitting next to her as he brought her into his arms. All he could do was comfort the woman that had gone through hell in the last few months and was trying her hardest to figure out what to do next. After a few minutes, Noelle was calm enough that Herrmann let her go.  
  
“I’m sorry,” she told him. “I would blame the baby but that is just a front. He was the love of my life and packing up this room turned out to be harder than I thought it would be. I don’t even know who is taking his place once I pack everything up.”  
  
“No one will ever replace Casey,” Herrmann told her, voicing the opinion that was shared around the firehouse about their fallen comrade. “But I can promise you that I will do my best to be as good of a lieutenant as he was.”  
  
“They finally gave it to you?” Noelle asked, happiness shining into her eyes. “It is about time they realized how much potential you have.”  
  
He gave her a half smile at the compliment. “I told them not to rush you into getting his stuff. I’m fine on my old bed.”  
  
“You deserve to have this room,” she told him. “If it wasn’t today it would be someday soon and I think it is better this way. I like going through everything of his. I’ve found some things and I can’t help but wonder why he kept it. But now it will go into a box under the bed so when the baby is old enough to start asking questions I can pull this stuff out and tell them all about the hero their dad was.”  
  
“Plus the kid will have a lot of people to tell them about their dad. Things like how he was before he met you and what he was like when you came into his life and when he realized that you were the one for him.”  
  
“Don’t forget how in love he was with her.”  
  
Seeing Kelly Severide leaning on the door frame she gave him a small smile. “Did you get everything done?”  
  
Noelle shook her head as she glanced at the box. “I need another box. But I got most of the stuff in here and I’m sure I can get the locker stuff to fit if I have a willing firefighter to help carry it to my car.”  
  
“I’m sure there will be someone that will help you with that.” Herrmann commented before slipping out of the room and walking away from friends that had gotten closer after losing the man that meant so much to the both of them in different ways.  
  
“You ask him?” Kelly asked, staying where he was. “About the birth?”  
  
“Yeah,” Noelle said giving him a small smile. “He’ll talk to Cindy and they will let me know. What do you think of having a get together with everyone before the baby comes? Just not at my place. Too soon for that.”  
  
“What were you thinking?” he asked. “Like a belated baby shower?”  
  
“Just a get together. I miss hanging out with everyone like we used to.”  
  
“How about we go to Molly’s tonight?” he suggested. “I’m sure they have something you can drink.”  
  
Rolling her eyes, Noelle couldn’t help but laugh a little. “I swear if you and Matt think you can be comedians with the pregnancy jokes. Joke will be on you when I leave you to change a shitty diaper.”  
  


* * *

  
  
**A Week Later**  
 **Molly’s**  
  
After the accident that had taken Matt’s life, Noelle didn’t have a reason to get dressed up anymore. He was the one that as her pregnancy progressed convinced her that she was still beautiful and they deserved to go out and have a good time before they became parents. So dressing up in her red lacy maternity dress was not just to show everyone that she hadn’t seen at the firehouse that she was going fine, but to remember that Matt would want her to keep living her life. It was hard since she had planned on spending the rest of her life waking up next to him. With him gone the pain was still there, but not nearly as much as it had been when he first died.  
  
Stopping just outside of the establishment she felt a sadness she hadn’t felt all day. Noelle hadn’t thought about it, but she hadn’t been to Molly’s since Matt had surprised her by asking her to marry him. Knowing that he wasn’t on the other side of the door waiting for her was still hard to come to terms with. Her friends who were like a second family were waiting inside for her. She had told Kelly that she would meet him at Molly’s since she was going to go somewhere before showing up. She left the apartment and went to visit with Matt. Talking to him at his grave didn’t make the pain go away, but she felt that he was listening to her. Some of the time when she came, by the time she left she felt worse than when she first arrived.  
  
Taking a deep breath she was about to walk inside when she heard her name being called. Turning she saw that she had beaten Kelly to Molly’s which did not happen very often. As she waited for him she noticed that he was with a small group of people but she only recognized three of them; Erin Lindsay, Jay Halstead and Antonio Dawson. They were all in the intelligence unit. She remembered hearing about how Matt and the man in charge of the unit did not get along what so ever. At least in the past they hadn’t.  
  
“Tell me you didn’t start drinking somewhere else.”  
  
“C’mon…” Kelly said laughing as he wrapped his arms around her.  “I just figured that we could have more friends tonight.”  
  
Noelle didn’t know what to think of what Kelly was doing. He had invited people that she didn’t really know. They were gathering at a bar so it wasn’t like she could deny them entrance just because she wanted it to be for her and her friends.   
  
“Whatever you say Kelly,” Noelle said. “You know what, I forgot my phone in the car. I’ll be right back, okay?”  
  
“Do you want me-”  
  
“No Kelly,” she said with a half assed smiled on her face. “You go ahead and go in.”  
  
Antonio gave a look to Erin to let her know he would follow the expecting mother. The others went inside Molly’s, but when he caught up to the blonde haired woman, she wasn’t in her car reaching for a phone, she was leaning on the passenger seat with tears in her eyes. In the past, Antonio had come into Molly’s and had seen Matt with his new girlfriend after his sister Gabby had broken things off with him. At first it seemed that he had been moving on pretty quickly, but when he talked to his sister, she had nothing but good things to say about the new paramedic at firehouse 51 and she was genuinely happy for them. Although they did break up once or twice, he saw something in them that had been missing when Matt had been dating Gabby. It was nice to see that they were so happy. And when word spread about how Matt Casey had died, his heart broke for the woman he was leaving behind. His heart shattered when Gabby informed him that Noelle and Matt were engaged as well as expecting a baby. Noelle Lightwood was a strong woman in his opinion to go through everything she was dealing with and come out with a smile upon her face.  
  
“Noelle, are you alright?” Antonio asked, alerting her to his presence.  
  
“He’s acting weird,” Noelle said as she wiped the tears from her face. “One moment he’s fine and then the next it feels like a switch has flipped.”  
  
“How do you mean?” he asked as he leaned against the car next to her.  
  
“He was bugging me to get into the baby’s room so he can finally know what I’m having and he’s joking around. That’s the Kelly Severide I know,” Noelle explained. “But I left this afternoon and now it feels different.”  
  
“Maybe he’s being hit in all directions right now. I heard about his girlfriend and then Matt. It has to be taking a toll on him.”  
  
“He stays at my place on the couch in case I go into labor. I told him I would call him but he insisted on staying. He sleeps on the couch since the guest room is full of boxes of baby things I haven’t gotten the chance to go through. It was a project Matt was supposed to help me with and he’s not going to come back.”  
  
“Maybe he just feels overwhelmed.” Antonio suggested.  
  
“I have told him a million times that he doesn’t have to stay there with me. Some people have told me that I should leave and start new, but we were waiting until after we got married and after the baby to make any more big decisions,” Noelle confessed. “I still have his stuff in the bathroom and his clothes are in the closet. And I don’t know why I just told you all of that. I’m sorry.”  
  
“Did Gabby ever tell you that my wife left me? Took the kids one day and just left.”  
  
“Sylvie told me,” Noelle told him honestly. “We are ambo partners. She was the first person to become my friend at 51.”  
  
“So you know that-”  
  
“You dated? Yeah, she told me over a girls night of drinking and confessions.”  
  
“My divorce it left me empty and I didn’t really talk to many people about it. I know my situation is nothing like yours, but I know Gabby is your friend and she’s worried as well as some of the other guys at your house. But just so you know, if you need an ear, I can be there for you.”  
  
“You are a good friend Antonio,” Noelle told him with a small smile. “I appreciate you coming after me, but I have to admit to something.”  
  
“What’s that?”  
  
“I didn’t leave my phone in the car,” she said as she opened her purse and pulled out the phone to show him where it had been the whole time. “I’ve been good about making sure my phone is always in reach.”  
  
“So you just didn’t want to go in at the same time as the rest of them?”  
  
“The get together or party whatever you wanna call it was my idea,” Noelle admitted as she moved her blonde hair behind her ear. “But when I got to Molly’s I wasn’t sure if I could actually go in.”  
  
“What’s stopping you?”  
  
“The last time I was in there and I was dressed nicely Matt asked me to marry him and when I stood outside the door knowing he wasn’t there it just kinda hit me all at once. I know he’s gone and I will move on but I guess I just thought it wasn’t going to be that hard.”  
  
“When my wife left there were times I thought there was no chance I could ever move on with my life. I loved her so much and when she left it was like my world was falling apart. For me at the time I was lucky to throw myself into my work.”  
  
“I’ve just been getting things ready for the baby. Matt had already put the stuff together and he decorated it. He was so excited that we were expecting and I was just glad to have someone with me during it all and then one day he isn’t here and I’m going to be a single mother.”  
  
“A single mother, yeah you will be that. But that doesn’t mean you won’t have help when you need it. Kelly was just telling everyone how excited he is that you are getting closer to have the baby. Although he might be a little annoyed that he doesn’t know if it’s a girl or boy.”  
  
Noelle couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. She was pretty sure that everyone felt that way. “It was Matt’s idea to keep it to ourselves. After he died I just wanted to keep his wish alive.”  
  
“The way Gabby talks about you,” Antonio smiled at her. “I have no doubt you’ll be a great mother. Your child will be well loved.”  
  
“I really hope so.”  
  
“We should head into Molly’s before someone comes searching for you.”  
  
“Thanks Antonio,” Noelle smiled at him. “Your words mean a lot. I’ve been a nervous wreck these past few months with Matt not here.”

* * *

  
  
Walking into her apartment after leaving Molly’s, Noelle felt a bit happier than she had in the last few days. Making her way to her bedroom she changed out of her dress and into something a bit more comfortable. Although she did wear flip flops to the bar, she was glad no one commented on it. Lately she felt as if she could never get comfortable, not in sleep and not while she was awake. The baby was very active, but as soon as she felt herself drifting off to sleep she would get a big kick that would wake her up.  
  
As soon as she had her comfortable clothes on, she grabbed a bowl of cereal since she was a little hungry but not enough to order food or make anything. Cereal was what she was craving in the evenings most nights. As soon as she had her food, she sat down on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table that Matt had told her multiple times that she should put a pillow under her feet, but she never listened.  
  
Turning on the television, Noelle started flipping channels. It took awhile, but she found herself watching the Blackhawks highlights from the night before. With a sad smile she started going through more channels before finally switching to her list of recorded shows. Finding her favorite show’s finale that she never got to finish, she went to that one.  
  
 _“Remind me never to throw you a surprise party.” the blonde woman said as she reached into her bag and took out a red box and opened it to reveal an engagement ring._  
  
 _“This is my grandmother’s ring.” the dark haired woman said, her voice etched with confusion as she took the box from her girlfriend._  
  
 _“I had this whole romantic proposal planned and it didn’t include a pug sweatshirt but I guess I’ll just wing it.”_  
  
 _The dark haired girl looked at her girlfriend. “You were going to propose to me?”_  
  
 _Taking the ring box back the blonde smiled. “Well, I’m still trying to so,” she said as she took the ring from the box and closed the red box and placed it on the coffee table. “When I was at my most lonely and unhappy and angry place you loved me. When I was an ugly human being, you saw a beautiful soul. You make the world a better place because you see the good in it. And you make me a better woman because you searched for one.”_  
  
 _The two women looked at each other before the blonde continued. “Do you promise to do that everyday for the rest of our lives?”_  
  
 _“Yes.” the brunette said softly, her eyes filled with tears of happiness._  
  
 _Sliding the ring onto her now fiance’s finger she looked at her and smiled. “I love you.”_  
  
 _“I love you, too.” the brunette said before taking her face into her hands and kissing her._  
  
With a smile on her face Noelle looked down at her large belly and smiled. “If your daddy ever thought about proposing to me while I was wearing an ugly sweater like that I would have killed him.”  
  
Laughing, she paused the show to pick up her cell phone that was ringing. She was a little surprised that someone was calling. When she left everyone was still drinking and having a good time, but she was starting to get tired and the braxton hicks she had been feeling had started again. Her due date was coming up in three days, but she didn’t feel like the baby was ready to come out just yet. Or maybe she wasn’t ready.  
  
“Hello?” she answered the number she didn’t recognize.  
  
“Noelle Lightwood?” the voice asked.  
  
“Speaking.”  
  
“This is Detective Jay Halstead down at the 21st District.”  
  
“Which one is using me as taxi service?”  
  
“There was an altercation at Molly’s and Kelly Severide was hit in the face so we had to go back to the district to make the report and now his car won’t start. He asked if we would call you to come and pick him up.”  
  
“Of course he did,” she said with a sigh. “Is Kelly alright? Was anyone at Molly’s injured?”  
  
“Just minor stuff, but the guy wanted to press charges so Kelly is also pressing charges against him. Once the guy sobers up he’ll realize what he did and hopefully drop the charges.”  
  
“I need to change and then I’ll be on my way to pick him up. Thank you Detective Halstead.”  
  
“No problem.”  
  
Hanging up her phone, she grabbed the cord that was nearby and plugged her phone in before going to find some clothes to change into. Although she was a lot bigger these days, she still couldn’t go out in her pajamas, especially to a police station. Grabbing a pair of maternity jeans and a purple and black plaid button up maternity shirt she dressed quickly. Pulling on a pair of socks that she grabbed from her dresser, she slid  them on before shoving her feet into her black ankle boots.  
  
Picking up her purse, she made sure she had her wallet before making her way to the living room. Taking her phone off the charger, she dropped it into her purse before grabbing her keys from the table by the door. When she had everything she needed, she locked the door to the apartment before heading to her car.   
  
The drive to the 21st district didn’t take long, but of course she felt the braxton hicks while she was driving. So as long as Kelly was sober, he was going to have to drive them back because there was no way she could make the drive with the pains.   
  
Walking into the 21st district, Noelle had to stop for a moment and take a breath as she waited for the pain to pass. After a minute or so, she started walking towards the desk, but she was intercepted by a police officer.   
  
“Ma’am are you alright?” the dark red haired beauty asked.  
  
“I got a call from Detective Halstead asking me to pick something up.”  
  
“Hey, Noelle,” Antonio Dawson said as he approached the two women. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Detective Halstead called me to pick something up,” Noelle said repeating what she said earlier. “Did you get caught up in the mess as well?”  
  
Antonio Dawson smiled at her. “Thank you Officer, but I’ll take her up to intelligence.”  
  
“No chance of an elevator?” Noelle asked.  
  
“Sorry, but if you want, you can blame it on Kelly.”  
  
“Oh don’t you worry,” she smiled as they slowly walked up the many stairs. “I have every intention of that.”  
  
Once they reached the top, Noelle was slightly out of breath from the stairs and the pain. She was starting to think that this was not false labor, but the real thing.  
  
“Are you alright?” Antonio asked as he stood in front of her.  
  
Without thinking about it, Noelle grabbed his hand and closed her eyes as she waited for the pain to pass. Squeezing his hand as the pain intensified, it took a little longer for it to pass this time then it had downstairs.  
  
“Please tell me that Kelly is sober enough to drive.”  
  
“He’s sober enough to drive,” Antonio said. “He only had a beer and food. But mainly water.”  
  
“Noelle? Are you alright?” Kelly asked walking over to where she was standing with Gabby’s brother.  
  
“I’ll be alright,” she said. “Are you able to leave?”  
  
“He’s good to go,” Detective Jay Halstead told them. “Thanks for your help Kelly.”  
  


* * *

  
  
After leaving the police station, Noelle told Kelly to drive to the hospital. She had a feeling she was in active labor which scared her immensely. On the drive over Noelle was thankful that she already had her bag and the baby bag packed and in the trunk of the car. Calling Cindy, she let her know she was on the way to the hospital and wanted her and Herrmann there when they could. It had been agreed upon that Herrmann and Kelly would be there along with Cindy. They had been her support since Matt died and she was so thankful for them all and she knew they would keep quiet until she had recovered from the birth before letting everyone know. She didn’t need everyone in her hospital room over crowding her.  
  
Turns out she had been in labor for awhile because when the doctor checked her cervix, she was four centimeters dilated already. So now it was time for the epidural and wait to see how well she progressed. After three hours, her water finally broke on its own. The epidural worked, but there was still some pain when she got to finally push the baby.   
  
After six long hours, her baby was born.  
  
“Congrats Mom,” the doctor said with a smile that reached his eyes. “You have a beautiful and healthy baby boy.”  
  
As the nurse took him to get cleaned up, Noelle could not stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She had her and Matt’s baby. A boy.   
  
Once the baby was placed in her arms, she couldn’t help but smile at him. Kissing the top of his head, she whispered how much she loved him.  
  
“So what’s the kid’s name?”  
  
“Alexander Matthew Casey. Alec for short.”  
  
“That’s a good name,” Herrmann said. “And he’s already loved by so many.”  
  
“I don’t think I could have gotten through these months after Matt died if it weren’t for the three of you always being there for me. Before Matt died we had talked about Godparents and I want to know if the three of you would like to be Alec’s godparents?”  
  
Cindy and Christopher Herrmann along with Kelly Severide looked floored at the request, but their answer was the same. “Of course we would.”  
  
“He looks like his Daddy.” Kelly said with a smile.  
  
“Just a reminder that he is our miracle.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is a what if Matt Casey survived the warehouse fire. It starts out the same, but it is different, I promise!
> 
> A/N2: A huge, huge, huge thank you to Lexi_the_dragon_muse and another friend not on this site, for all their encouragement and help with this. It means a lot to me!
> 
> A/N3: I own nothing, but the plot and my characters...

_“Chief is Ellie there?”_  
  
 _Looking at Battalion Chief of Firehouse 51, Noelle Lightwood brought her hand up to her radio that was clipped at her shoulder._  
  
 _“Matt, I’m here.”_  
  
 _“Noelle, you know how much you mean to me right?”_  
  
 _Noelle could hear her fiancé’s voice clearly through the radio which meant one thing._  
  
 _“Matt, did you take off your mask?”_  
  
 _“I want you to hear my voice.”_  
  
 _Moving her blonde braid over her shoulder, she could feel her eyes start to burn with tears that wanted to be shed. Noelle could feel her ambulance 61 partner Slyvie Brett walk closer to her in case she was needed._  
  
 _“No, don’t you say that, Matt. You get out of there,” Noelle told him, her voice breaking as she talked into the radio. “You listen to me. You put your mask back on and you get out of there.”_  
  
 _“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You and the baby.”_  
  
 _“Matt, don’t. You use your halogen or your hands. You find a wall and you break it down. You hear me?”_  
  
 _“Noelle…”_  
  
 _It was impossible for Noelle to keep her tears in check. She had one hand on her radio and the other on her obviously pregnant belly._  
  
 _“Don’t say it…”_  
  
 _“Noelle…Noelle I want you to remember us as happy together, holding each other. You are my miracle Noelle. You’re my miracle. I love you Noelle and our baby.”_  
  
 _She wanted nothing more than to run into the burning building and bring out the firefighters that were still trapped inside. They were part of her family and she couldn’t leave them behind. When she was transferred to Firehouse 51 it was not what she had been expecting. Never in a million years did she think she would stay as long as she had or that she would find the love of her life. Meeting Matt Casey was the best thing that she could have asked for. After being on and off for a year and a half he had proposed to her. They had gone to dinner and they went back to Molly’s where all their friends had been waiting. She had not been expecting it, but she told him yes. Only a month later she found out she was pregnant. She wasn’t sure how Matt would react to the news, but when she finally told him and she saw the utter delight on his face she felt that she could finally relax._  
  
 _And now six months later she was talking to her fiancé through the radio while he was stuck inside a burning building. It was just earlier that day Matt had told her was going to scale back his alderman duties so that they could spend more time together before the baby was due. The day had started off so well and then Firehouse 51 received the call to the fire they were at._  
  
 _“Matt, please. You can’t give up,” Noelle said as she spoke through the radio. “I can’t do this without you. I need you.”_  
  
 _There was absolutely nothing Noelle could do to keep the tears from falling down her face. She waited for Matt to say something, anything at all. Taking a step closer to the burning building, she watched as flames shot up from inside._  
  
“MATT!”  
  
Jolting awake, Noelle looked around as she tried to take some deep and calming breaths. Sitting up in the bed she glanced at the alarm clock and saw it was still the early hours and if she went to sleep now she could possibly get at least another four hours before heading to Firehouse 51. Looking at the bed beside her she saw that her fiancé had never made it to the bed. It wasn’t all that surprising since more nights than not she was restless in bed and waking before the alarm went off because the baby decided that it wanted to start kicking her when all she wanted was to rest.  
  
Tossing the covers off, she slowly got out of bed. Leaving the bedroom she walked into the living room and with the light of the TV still on she shook her head as she smiled at her fiancé asleep with the remote still in his hand. Making her way into the kitchen she opened the fridge. There wasn’t much of a selection on leftovers besides Matt’s leftover Chinese that he didn’t finish from the other night when they had gone out to dinner with the Herrmann family. Smelling the orange chicken and the noodles, Noelle felt her stomach growl. Closing the fridge with her hip, she placed the food on the counter before going to grab a plate and fork. After heating the food up, she made her way to the couch and sat down near Matt, but not close enough to wake him up.   
  
Grabbing the second remote, so she didn’t disturb him, she went through the TV Guide until she found something on. It was one of those shows she would watch when she remembered. Luckily it wasn’t one that she had to watch every week otherwise she would be totally lost on it. Savoring the bite of orange chicken, she smiled as she watched the show. MTV’s Catfish was definitely a show you wouldn’t want to find yourself on. Twirling the noodles onto her fork, she was so focused on the show that she hadn’t noticed that Matt had woken up.  
  
“Are those my leftovers?”  
  
His voice was groggy and laced with sleep.  
  
“Nope.”  
  
“I’m pretty sure that you had the sweet and sour chicken.”  
  
“Blame the baby,” she said with a smile on her face as he moved over to sit next to her. His hand automatically went to her large stomach. “Your fault I’m eating for two. And you should know better than to leave leftovers in sight.”  
  
“What’s the point?” he asked as he rubbed her belly, grinning when he felt the baby kick his hand. “You would know the leftovers would be in there.”  
  
Taking a piece of chicken on her fork, she held it up to him as a peace offering. Smiling at the woman who was offering him a piece of food, he took a small bite before stretching and getting more comfortable. Under his hand he could feel his baby kicking his hand. When he had brought up wanting to keep the sex of their baby to themselves he knew that Noelle would have her doubts about how long it would last since they have some sneaky friends at the firehouse. So at his suggestion they would refer to their baby as bug or firebug when they were around people to keep them guessing.  
  
“So what has you awake so early?” Matt asked her as he took another bite of the food she had offered.  
  
“You mean besides the baby playing with my internal organs?”  
  
“Besides that,” Matt said, his hand never leaving her belly. “Can’t sleep?”  
  
“I was asleep,” Noelle said as she handed him the plate and moved to get more comfortable. “But I had a bad dream about that warehouse fire. It still bothers me that I could have lost you and there was nothing I could do to help you, or Herrmann or Mouch.”  
  
Wrapping his arm around her, he looked into her eyes. Noelle had been so brave after the warehouse fire that almost took three members of Firehouse 51. The nightmares had been on and off since he had come home from the hospital. He knew that while she was pregnant and what he had said to her when he believed that it was the end for him hadn’t been the greatest thing for her especially while she was carrying their child. When Kelly had figured a way to get Squad 3 inside to get their men out, Matt had never been so happy to see Kelly Severide’s face before. As soon as he was loaded into the ambulance he could hear Noelle calling over the system for two more ambulances for warehouse fire before she climbed into the back of her rig as Brett took over the driving.   
  
The drive to Chicago Med had been long not just for him, but for Noelle as well. She had believed that she was about to lose the man she had intended to marry and start a family with. So when they got there, they had all hands on deck. What no one had been expecting was when Dr. Connor Rhodes and Dr. Will Halstead had been treating him that she would collapse. It was something that Matt wished many times that he could unsee. While Dr. Halstead had continued to work on his issues, Dr. Rhodes took over caring for Noelle. The end result was fine, she had just over exerted herself and so they set her up in a room that they would move Matt to once he was ready to be moved. Dr. Rhodes kept a monitor on her baby so they could make sure he hadn’t missed anything.  
  
After twenty-four hours, Noelle was released from the hospital, but Matt had another day or two left so she had left to change clothes and take a shower before returning. It had been a very close call and no one could fault Noelle for wanting to stay close to Matt. Cindy Herrmann and Trudy Platt were also staying with their husbands while they recovered. Although things could have turned out so much worse than it did, Noelle just couldn’t stop replaying it over and over in her head.   
  
“Noelle, you are an amazing paramedic and soon you’ll be an amazing mother to our little bug, but you can’t keep playing the what if game. It will eat at you for too long if you keep playing it over and over. Mouch and Herrmann are fine and back to work and I’m right here with you.”  
  
“I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you Matt,” Noelle said as she wiped a tear from falling down her face. “You mean the world to me. You and our Bug.”  
  
“You don’t have to know,” he told her as he stood up and reached for her hand to help her up. “We should get some sleep. Especially if you still plan on coming to the house today.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Noelle said rolling her eyes. “Not like you get much of a choice right now anyways.”  
  
“You don’t think so?” he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.  
  
“Not while Bug keeps kicking me senseless,” she said placing her hand into his own, allowing him to assist her to her feet. “I swear I get bigger by the week. I’m so done being pregnant.”  
  
“You look beautiful to me.”  
  
“You have to say that,” she smiled at him as he held onto her hand before making their way to the bedroom. “You are the one that did this to me.”  
  
“Can’t say I’m sorry about it,” he told her as he shed his shirt and tossed it to the floor near his side of the bed. “You’ve known I’ve always wanted kids.”  
  
“I figured that would come after getting married.”  
  
“So we did things a little backwards,” he said with a yawn. “Doesn’t mean that our little bug is any less loved then the other kids we may have later on.”  
  
“Oh god,” Noelle muttered as she got herself comfortable in the bed. “How many times are you planning on doing this to me?”  
  
Placing his hand under her shirt on her rounding stomach, Matt just smiled. “Our little miracle.”  
  
“I love you Matt Casey.”  
  
“I love you too, future Mrs. Noelle Casey.”  
  


* * *

  
  
_**A Week Later**_  
 _ **Molly’s**_  
  
“Hey! You came!”  
  
Looking up in time to see her co-worker, Gabby Dawson and a man that looked like her, she smiled before Gabby gave her a hug. Tucking her phone into her back pocket, Noelle returned the hug.  
  
“The message said to come and not tell Matt. Call me intrigued.”  
  
“Oh,” Gabby said with a smile. “Noelle this is my brother Antonio. Tonio, this is Noelle Lightwood. She’s Brett’s partner on Ambo 61.”  
  
Shaking his hand, Noelle smiled at him. “Nice to finally put a face to the name.”  
  
“It seems whenever I visit Gabby this mysterious paramedic isn’t around.”  
  
“Well they kicked me out of the firehouse a few weeks ago so now I sit at home and go stir crazy since Matt decided to go back to work until Bug makes an appearance.”  
  
“Bug?”  
  
“It’s this thing they’ve been doing since they found out the sex of the baby. They refer to the baby as Bug or Fire Bug and won’t tell anyone what they are having. It has been driving us all insane.”  
  
“You can blame all that on Matt,” Noelle said with a laugh. “When we were in the parking lot in his truck before one of the ultrasound appointments and just as I’m getting out, he stops me and tells me that he wants to keep it between us.”  
  
“Of course.” Gabby said with a grin on her face.  
  
“I thought he meant the pregnancy. Like he didn’t want to tell anyone, but then I remembered I had already told some friends and he had told Kelly so I was a bit confused by what he meant. So I didn’t say anything and we go into the appointment and we are waiting for the doctor and he looks at me like I should tell him what he was asking. Instead I blurt out that he is an idiot and he already told Kelly about the baby.”  
  
“What happened then?”  
  
“I laughed and told her I just meant the gender of the baby. I wanted it to be something between the two of us.”  
  
Turning around to see Matt there with his own smile on his face, Noelle couldn’t help but smile right back at him. The way his eyes lit up when he smiled while he was truly happy always made her feel happy. “That was also the day that we started trying to figure out a birthing plan if I’m not mistaken.”  
  
“And to this day we have yet to come to an agreement on it.”  
  
“How about you repeat after me. Noelle, you are pushing our baby from your body and so however you feel about doing it, I’ll agree to.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Matt wrapped her in his arms and kissed the side of her head. “We will talk about it later.”  
  
“What did you and Laura do, Antonio?” Gabby asked, looking at her brother.  
  
“Each one was different. With Eva we didn’t tell anyone about her being in labor until after she was born. We wanted it to just be us for those first few hours. With Diego Ma and Pop watched Eva and then brought her to the hospital the next day. She had long deliveries so she wasn’t really up to too many visitors.”  
  
“That isn’t a bad idea,” Matt said as he took in Antonio’s words. “I actually think it would be a great idea. When we have a second kid we could call Herrmann and Cindy to watch Bug while we go to the hospital.”  
  
“Second kid?” Noelle asked, looking at her fiancé with amusement in her eyes. “Can we first get through having this one first?”  
  
“If you insist,” Matt said grinning at her as he kissed the side of her neck. “How about we go get some drinks? Hopefully Herrmann thought of food for you.”  
  
“It isn’t my fault,” Noelle laughed. “Bug has cravings which is transferred to me.”  
  
“Blame it all on the baby.”  
  
Shaking her head, Matt grabbed her hand as they followed Antonio and Gabby into Molly’s. As soon as the door was closed, the shouts of “surprise” from everyone made Noelle’s eyes go wide. Looking from all their friends and family to the face of Matt, Noelle could tell he was just as surprised as she was about this. She had been told by Sylvie that it was just drinks with friends before the baby came and Herrmann promised food and whatever the expecting mother wanted. But a surprise baby shower was not what she had been expecting.  
  
“Who-”  
  
“Did you really think that we would let you get away without having a baby shower?” Sylvie Brett, her ambulance 61 partner asked as she walked up and hugged her. “Plus I think we all needed a good pick me up lately.”  
  
“I just-”  
  
“Surprised?” Sylvie asked, hopeful.  
  
Nodding her head, Noelle wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. “Very surprised.”  
  
“Oh no,” Sylvie said, her eyes going wide. “Why are you crying? What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing. I promise it’s nothing. Hormones have me weeping when I normally wouldn’t. Trust me, this has been happening more and more. Matt usually has to deal with me alone when it happens.”  
  
Wrapping her arms around her friend the best she could, Sylvie gave her the support that she felt like she was in need of. They had been partners for years and although Noelle had confessed to Sylvie that she probably shouldn’t get used to her since the chances were that she wouldn’t be around for long. A month later, she gladly had to take her words back and it was something she never regretted. Being a part of a firehouse 51 had been welcoming since the first day she arrived. It was different then some of the other firehouses that she had been a part of temporarily.  
  
“You didn’t have to do this,” Noelle smile at her friends. Then she saw Matt’s sister and his niece had come as well. “But I’m glad that you did.”  
  
“I tried to find some of your family, but I never got an answer back.”  
  
“You won’t,” Noelle said. “I was disowned when I moved away to Chicago. But my real family is all here and that’s what matters.”  
  


* * *

  
  
_Frustration_. That was how Noelle would describe how she felt. She felt that most nights she couldn’t get comfortable enough for more than three hours of consecutive sleep and since Matt had been back at work, she didn’t like sleeping by herself. When you get used to your significant other sleeping next to you and they go back to work and you are on maternity leave it is hard to sleep without them there. At least that was how Noelle had felt.  
  
Standing at her closet, she looked at some of the clothes hanging there untouched for months. After she had taken a shower, she looked at herself in the mirror and couldn’t help but really look at her size. She was huge and couldn’t believe she would ever go back to her pre-pregnancy size, which is how she found herself in front of her closet. The cute tops that she had gotten when she first started to date Matt would have to go just like all her skinny jeans. There was no way she could ever fit back into the clothes that she once loved to wear.  
  
Feeling the tears fall down, she wiped them away quickly before looking at the large pile of clothes that took up half of the bed. Carefully sliding down the wall, she sat there just wondering how Matt could still want to marry her after seeing what she looked like now. It was a drastic change in her body. Knowing that she would be carrying a baby inside her was something she was well aware of, but it didn’t register in her mind that there would be such a change in her body. There were many times that she had seen mother’s that didn’t even know they were pregnant  and they certainly didn’t look it but she looked as big as a whale and today she truly felt like one.  
  
“Ellie?”  
  
Hearing Matt call out for her, she just closed her eyes and wiped her cheeks for any signs of tears that had made their way down her face. She hadn’t thought that he would be home early since he mentioned that he and Kelly might get something to eat after shift. If she had known he would have been back this early, she wouldn’t have started the project to get rid of all her pre-pregnancy clothes.  
  
“Ellie? Are you home?”  
  
Before she could respond to him, she heard his bag drop to the floor near the bathroom door where she had moved the dirty clothes hamper. It was nice that he actually would use it and not leave his dirty clothes all over the bathroom floor. After they moved in together she hadn’t realized how thankful she was to have a washer and dryer in their place, especially after she became pregnant.  
  
“There you are,” Matt said as he looked down at her and then to the bed of clothing. “I thought maybe you were napping.”  
  
“I just started a project and I thought you would be gone longer otherwise I wouldn’t have started it.”  
  
“And what are you doing exactly?” Matt asked her as he helped her get back to her feet. “It kinda looks like your closet exploded all over the bed.”  
  
“I guess it does look that way,” Noelle sighed. “Can you find a box and I’ll pack it all up and you can take it to the donation center when you go to work?”  
  
“Why are you throwing out your clothes?”  
  
“There isn’t a point of keeping them,” she said as she glanced at him. “After all there is no way I’m ever going to be able to fit back into these clothes.”  
  
“Where is all this coming from?”   
  
“Just look at me Matt! I’m nothing like I was when you asked me to marry you and I wouldn’t blame you if you no longer wanted to marry me.”  
  
Taking her hand into his, he took his phone out of his back pocket and played the song he knew that she loved so much. Placing his phone on the dresser after turning the volume up on his phone, he took Noelle into his arms. She just looked at him, wondering what he was doing since she had just told him that she would understand if he no longer wanted to marry her.  
  
 _Thought I was happy on my own_  
 _'Til you came and proved me wrong_  
  
Closing her eyes, Noelle placed her head on Matt’s shoulder. All the stress she had been feeling the past few days started to vanish from her current thoughts.  
  
  
 _I finally found what I never knew I always wanted_  
 _I couldn't see; I was blind 'til my eyes were opened_  
 _I didn't know there was a hole_  
 _Something missing in my soul_  
 _'Til you filled it up with your love, yeah_  
  
The constant worrying about when the baby would come and if she were truly ready for it. It felt that Matt had been ready for awhile. He had been honest when they first got seriously involved about how he wanted to get married and have a family. At first that made her nervous, but everything with him just felt right. Just like being in his arms at this moment felt just so right as well.  
  
 _Never pictured myself singing lullabies_  
 _Sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the night_  
 _In the quiet, in the dark_  
 _You're stealing every bit of my heart with your daddy's eyes_  
 _What a sweet surprise_  
  
Opening her eyes, she looked up at him.  
  
“Matt…”  
  
“No talking right now.”  
  
Moving her arms up to his shoulders, Noelle held him tightly. Swaying to the music coming from the phone, she closed her eyes once again. Matt had no idea that the love of his life had been feeling this way lately. If he could take all her worries and fears from her, he would do so in a heartbeat. He knew that the days of it being just him and Noelle were drawing to a close and soon their little Fire Bug would join them. Noelle was nervous and he was as well, but his excitement level of finally having the baby with them was overwhelming all of his other emotions.  
  
Feeling Noelle start to relax made Matt smile. The stress she was feeling was not good for him or for their baby.  
  
 _And now I'm holdin' what I never knew I always wanted_  
 _I couldn't see; I was blind 'til my eyes were opened_  
 _I didn't know there was a hole_  
 _Something missing in my soul_  
 _'Til you filled it up, oh, with your love_  
  
If he wanted to be honest about how he truly felt, Matt would say that Noelle Lightwood was the love of his life. The woman that he was meant to be with. All of his past relationships had meant something to him and they led him to be with the one he was truly meant for. Noelle. The mother of his child, the one he was going to marry someday. He didn’t feel the need to rush her into getting married just because they were expecting, but after the warehouse fire it made him rethink it. There were times that he wanted to bring it up, but in his mind Noelle deserved better than a rushed wedding. Although if she were to bring it up he would find a Justice of the Peace and have them married as soon as it was possible. Noelle and their child came first in his life, they were his priority.  
  
  
 _Life has a way of showing you just what you need_  
 _And who you were made to be, yeah_  
  
  
The baby kicking made Noelle look up at Matt. The thoughts of her size how unpleasant she looked had left her. All she could see in his eyes was how much he loved her and how much he already loved their baby.  
  
 _I finally found what I never knew I always wanted_  
 _I couldn't see; I was blind 'til my eyes were opened_  
 _I didn't know there was a hole_  
 _Something missing in my soul_  
 _'Til you filled it up with your love_  
 _Yeah, you filled it up with your love, yeah_  
  
“If you could marry me today,” Noelle said softly as the song ended and she looked into his blue eyes. “Would you?”  
  
“In a heart beat.”  
  
“Then let’s do it. Call Kelly and I’ll call Sylvie. I want to get married tonight.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Never in a million years did Noelle Lightwood think that her wedding day would be while she was so close to having a baby. It just seemed to work out that way. As soon as she had gotten off the phone with Sylvie and Matt had finished talking to Kelly, she knew Sylvie would be on the phone with the judge that owed them a favor for saving his granddaughter from a drug overdose. Judge Foster had been thankful that they had not gone to the press about his granddaughter’s problem, instead they took the time and brought resources to the young woman’s attention and passed no judgment on her. To Judge Foster that was more than enough to put the paramedics into his good graces and owe them a favor.  
  
Instead of having to wait in a line and fill out the paperwork before hand, they arrived and Kelly handed them the filled out paperwork. Apparently the judge had also made sure there was no chance for a mistake because of the paperwork. This judge was not only getting them on the fast track to being married, but he was doing it while dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.  
  
Rubbing her stomach, Noelle looked around for Sylvie, but didn’t see her. Looking at Matt and Kelly, they both looked casual, but nice at the same time. After sitting down in a plastic chair that Matt let her to, she saw that Kelly was looking at her with a grin upon his face.  
  
“What?”  
  
“Whose idea was it?” he finally asked. “I know he asked you to marry you and then you found out you were pregnant. I figured that you would get married before the baby got here, but isn’t this cutting it a little close?”  
  
“Matt told me that we could get married on the day I pick. A few hours ago I told him I wanted to get married today.”  
  
“And it will be memorable,” Matt said smiling at her. “We can have the bigger wedding later on when the baby is here.”  
  
Before she could say anything, Sylvie came in with a bouquet. Noelle’s eyes went wide seeing it. When she told Matt she wanted to get married today, everything else escaped from her mind. Being thankful to Sylvie was putting it lightly.  
  
“Mr. Casey, Ms. Lightwood,” a voice said from in front of a pair of closed doors. “Judge Foster will see you all now.”  
  
Matt looked down at her and smiled before reaching down to assist her in getting to her feet. “Are you sure you want to do this? It doesn’t have to be today.”  
  
“Are you trying to change my mind about getting married to you?”  
  
Brushing his lips across hers lightly, he smiled at her. “Not a chance.”  
  
Walking into the room hand in hand, Noelle looked at Matt with a smile that she doubted would ever fall from her face when she would think of this day. This was her wedding day, the day she would become Mrs. Matthew Casey.  
  
Turning to face Matt with the judge right next to them, she was still smiling as they repeated their vows in front of their friends as well as the judge. Neither of them had thought to write their own vows, especially not with the lack of time on their hands. Repeating the traditional vows, Noelle thought the day couldn’t get any better, but the moment when the judge pronounced them man and wife just topped everything she thought she could feel happy about. Without having to be told twice, Matt kissed his new bride with everything he had in him. Breaking the kiss when Kelly told them that they need to get a room for that sort of stuff didn’t do anything to break the smiles off their faces.   
  
Softly kissing her once more, Matt then turned his attention to the judge and Noelle followed suit. Thanking him for everything, Noelle rested her hand on her belly. Usually they would go out for drinks to celebrate, but being so close to her due date, the newly weds decided they would go out another time to celebrate their vows. After leaving the courthouse, Matt and Noelle headed back home while Kelly and Sylvie most likely left to head to Molly’s to spread the word about the newly weds.  
  


* * *

  
  
Having Matt carry her over the threshold of their home had made her laugh as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly in fear that he might lose his balance with her. Once they made it through the door and he set her down on her feet, she went into their bedroom to get changed into her pajamas while he made them something to eat. But when she went into the bathroom what she had been wanting to happen for the longest time happened at the most unexpected time.  
  
“MATT!”  
  
Hearing his wife’s scream, Matt dropped what he was doing and found her clutching the vanity while there was a huge puddle on the floor.  
  
“Ellie,” he said cautiously. “Are you alright?”  
  
Taking a deep breath, she nodded her head before finally looking up at him. “My water just broke and I think I just had a contraction.”  
  
Nodding his head, Matt heard her words, but he didn’t process them until she yelled his name again. Getting ready, she grabbed the towel that he had used for a shower the last time he was here, she mopped up the mess as he left to get her bags and to put the food back into the fridge.  
  
The drive to the hospital was nerve wrecking, not just for the mother to be, but for her new husband as well. From the time that she found out she was pregnant and when she finally told him, they had done everything first time parents should do to prepare themselves for this, but they still felt as if they weren’t ready. Getting to the hospital had taken longer since Matt decided not to look up any traffic reports to see if there had been any accidents and of course there had been one.   
  
When they finally got to the hospital, she was taken to put on a hospital gown and to have an IV started while Matt filled out paperwork. She knew it had to be done, but she didn’t want him to leave her, not then.  
  
“Hello, Noelle,” Dr. Connor Rhodes smiled as he came in while she watched as April Sexton was hooking up her IV. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Scared,” Noelle said telling him the truth before getting to the question that was in her mind. “Not that it isn’t nice to see you Dr. Rhodes, but what are you doing here?”  
  
“It would appear that Dr. Manning can’t be reached and I know you’ve been seeing her for your check ups, but I hope you won’t mind me filling in for her.”  
  
Giving him a smile she heard Matt come in. “You saved Herrmann’s life and so I trust you completely.”  
  
“What’s going on?” Matt asked, confused as he came around and kissed Noelle’s head before looking at the medical staff.  
  
“Natalie is unreachable so Dr. Rhodes is going to deliver our Fire Bug.”  
  
Nodding his head, Matt looked at her and smiled. “Did you tell them?”  
  
“Tell us what?” April asked, looking at them.  
  
“I didn’t have the chance,” Noelle laughed before looking at April with a grin on her face. “We got married about an hour ago.”  
  
If Noelle was expecting a surprise reaction from either Doctor Rhodes or from April, she didn’t get it. “You aren’t surprised…which means you heard if from Kelly.”  
  
“I did and I told Maggie and you know how she likes to gossip about you paramedics.”  
  
That sent Noelle into a fit of giggles until another contraction hit her.  
  
Ten hours in active labor and another hour and a half of pushing her child out of her, Noelle Casey was exhausted but as happy as could be. She had a baby girl. Opening her eyes slowly, she watched as Matt held their daughter. It had been so hard to keep that a secret from all their friends, but they had managed it so far.   
  
Matt was swaying with their daughter as he talked to her, at first it was hard to hear what he was saying, but then she listened harder and it became clearer to hear the words.  
  
“You are going to be a heart breaker just like your Mommy. One day when you are married, maybe we will tell you how she broke my heart by telling me that she didn’t want to date me. But that was okay because I didn’t give up and eventually I got a date out of her and it turned into more than just dates. We fell in love and now we have you. You are our little miracle. The best thing to ever happen to us.”  
  
“I couldn’t agree more.” Noelle said softly, a smile on her face.  
  
“Looks like Mommy is awake.”  
  
Leaning down carefully, he kissed his wife and then his daughter’s head before placing her into her mother’s arms.  
  
“So, are we in agreement on her name yet?”  
  
“Emilia Grace Casey,” Noelle said smiling. “That’s her name.”  
  
“Beautiful,” Matt said smiling as he watched his wife holding their newest addition to their family. “Just like her mother.”  
  
  
 _The End._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know what your thoughts are!
> 
> A/N2: The song used is What I Never Knew I Always Wanted by Carrie Underwood.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Let me know what you think!


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